Event organiser Pete Martin loves the event so much he even named his baby son Henri Desgrange after the founder of the Tour de France was keen to share his enthusiasm with others.

The 44-year-old civil servant filled Marsham Village Hall with all-things Tour yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday) and was delighted by the number of cycle club members and interested parties who turned up.

“It’s been pretty much everything I hoped it would be,” he said.

“We didn’t know what to expect but it’s been amazing. We’ve had good feedback and someone even told us it had been a ‘giant’ of an exhibition.”

Mr Martin’s collection of memorabilia has been built up over 14 years of travelling to France to watch the race. Annually it covers about 3,500km, features some 198 competitors, is held over three weeks and is split into 21 stages.

As well as photos and newspaper cuttings, he also displayed many of the souvenir items, including T-shirts and hats, and the Tour road and other signs which Mr Martin said were part of spectators’ pickings once the race had passed through.

Mr Martin has been so encouraged by the interest that he hoped to hold another exhibition in the future.

He said: “We would like to do another one. We could make it an annual event and get new things each year.”